Extinction

In the life of any species, extinction is the final evolutionary process. I t is a common one at present, as the world is entering a major extinction c risis. The pattern of extinction and threat is very non-random, with some t axa being more vulnerable than others. Explaining why some taxa are affecte d and some escape is a major goal of conservation biology. More ambitiously , a predictive model could, In principle, be built by integrating comparabl e studies of past and present extinctions, We review progress towards both explanatory and predictive frameworks, comparing correlates of extinction I n different groups at different times. Progress towards explanatory models for the current crisis is promising, at least in some well-studied tare, bu t the development of a truly predictive model is hampered by the formidable difficulties of Integrating studies of present and past extinctions. (C) 2 000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.